Steam-generating system.



W. M. GROSS.

STEAM GENERATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1911.

1 ,05 9 ,980, Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

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WALTER M. GROSS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

STEAM-GENERATING SYSTEM.

Specification or Letters Patent.

Patented Apr, 29, fhild.

Application filed September 15, 1911'. Serial No, eaaeeo.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WALTER M. Cross, a citizen of theUnite'd State's, residing in the city of Kansas City, county of Jackson, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam- Generatin Systems, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to improvements in steam generating systems, and in the present instance is shown as used in connection with a liquid hydrocarbon burner, although in its broader aspects the invention is not necessarily confined to such use.

Among the salient objects of the invention are toprovide a construction in which a sub stantial equilibrium is normally'maintained between the pressure of the Water supply and the steam pressure in the generator and in such a way as to prevent the generator pressure from substantially exceeding the pressure of the water supply independently of the temperature of the generator; to provide a-construction of the above character which dispenses with the necessity of the usual spring or other safety valves for the generators, which are ordinarily lost in the popping ofl of a steam safety valve are retained, and utilized in the generator pressure; to provide a construction in which the water sup .ply is normally fed to the generator, through a restricted feed orifice of predetermined capacity but in which the water or steam in the generator-may nevertheless back freely and at once into the water supply whenthe pressure in the generator exceeds the presw sure of the water supply; to provide a construction in which the pressure of the water supply and enerator are maintained n all times at su stantial constant equilibrium under normal loads, or in other words a construction in which under normal loads the steam pressure on the generator will neither exceed nor fall below the water pressure; to provide a construction in which the i steam generator automatically maintains its pressure at substantially the same pressure as the water supply although the latter may vary; to provi sary, as in a dwelling;

and in which the heat units e a construction which isparticularly adapted foruse where safety and simplicity of operation and avoidance of escaping'steam or hotwater, are necesto provide a construction which is particularly applicable for use with hydrocarbon oil burners and which automatically regulates itself and can be effectively and safely run by any unskilled operator; to provide a construction which in its application to hydrocarbon oil burners both automatically feeds oil and regulates the atomizing steam jet, and at the same time avoids an dan'er of fire or explosion by the overow 0' oil or excess of steam pressure; to provide a construction which in its broader aspects, is as stated,

adapted to a wide range of uses, and which is nevertheless economical both in construc tion and operation and n generalto provide an improved constructlon of the charactor referred to,

Tire invention consists in the matters here.- ina-fter described and more particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

in the drawings-Figure l is an elevation of a hydrocarbon burner system equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail v ew of the nebulizer; Fig. 3 is a sect-ional view of a modified form of the valve construction used in the invention.

Referring to the drawings-1 designates a furnace wall of any suitable construction having a fuel opening 2. nace is a Ilt-EbllllZGl 3, the cylinder 4: of which has a nozzle 5 at. its inner end through which vapor maybe discharged into the furnace chamber. 'lhis'nozzle preferably has a contracted port 6, having flaring sides 7 as shown in Fig, 2. A fuel supply pipe 8 com municates with the lower S! e of the nebulizer and-at its other end leads to a supply tank 9. The piped is provided with a controlling valve 10; Extending through the cylinder of the nehul-iz'er is a steam ipe 11 having a tip'll' which ,rojects into t e nozzle as'shown.- The out st of the pipe 11 is ,controlled by a valve member 12 and at its inletend communicates with a'condpit 11 leading to an air pump it. The upper end of he pipe it connects to one end of a Within the fur nected' at its other end with Th briefly described as follows The oilcon trolled valve 10pis'opened and the air is compressed through the pump 14 throu h This results from thefact that the closed steam coil 15 placedin the furnace.

chamber.- A steam :gage 13 'is also provided as shown.

The :steamooil orgenerator 15 is cona supply or service pipe 16 which may lead from any suitable source of water supply under pressure such as a city main or tank (not shown). The pipe 16 is provided with a needle valve 18 to control the supply of water from the service pipe to the coll.v To the pipe 16 is connected a branch conduit 19, theendsof which-are connected to the supp trol ing valve 18 as shown. The pip'e19 is provided with a freely moving check valve or flap valve 20, which is so arranged as. to open against pressure from the rightha'nd side of the pipe or the side leadin to the coil 15, but closing against pressure from the left hand side of the pipe 19 or from the pressure side of the water supply. 1

e'operation of theinvention may be the nozzle 6' of the nebulizer whereby t e oil is drawn from the tank 9 by suction and forced out of the nozzle in the form of .a spray where it is ignited for the purpose of heating the coil 15. As soon as the'coil becomes sufiiciently heated the valve 18 is open allowing the water to enter the" hot coil 15. The pump 14' may'then beshut ofi "as the generated steam will passthrough the pipe 11' into the nebulizer and take the place of the air. In otherwords, as thestea'm is formed in the coil it passes into the nozzle todraw oil from the supply tank and spray the same inthe burner. By regulating the valve 12 the .properquantity o steam will always enter the nozzle, At the same time the parts are so arranged that the steam pressure will never be raised above a predetermined or-given pressure.

The foregoing 1s accomplished in thecon struction's own in Fi 1 by means of the by-pass or pipe 19 an check valve 20. Ifv the pressure in the generator be suddenl raised as is frequent in constructions of this type, above the water pressure, the .hot water and more or less steam, willbeforced through the pipe 19 into the supply pipe 16. ressure from the generator being greater t an the water pressure will open the. check valve 20 and in efi'ect push back orstop the fiow of water through the restricted opening controlled by the valve 18. If the pressure in the steam generator should be above normal a considerable amount of steam might be forced out of the generator back into the [water supply. In practice, however, the

steam gage 13 will show but slight variaused for some other purpose,

Iy pipe at'opposite sides of the conthis is not contem -visable or necessary stop the inflow of the latter and back out through the by-pass 1 9. This will at once lower the steam pressure to normal whereupon theisupply can again-feed through the restricted opening controlled by the valve. Of course if the supply of steam in "the generator were drawn ofi' freely through the pipe 16, as for example, if the steam were the pressure would fall considerably below the water In'oommercial practice however, lated as the steam is so generated as to ta e, care-of normal loads. In constructions of this character it is ad: that'the water supply be fed through a restricted feed opening and it may beals o advisable or necessary to draw the steam off through a similar" restricted outletfas for example, the passage controlled by the'valves 12. At the same t1me the pressure in thegenerator may suddenly rise above that which can be taken care of by the restricted inlet and outlet passages referred pressure.

to. If no safety valves or other means for freeescape of steam were provided an explosion would obviously. result.

By means of the construction shown in the drawings a free passage for the escape of steamis not only provided 2'. e., the bypass 19 and the freely open check valve 20,

ut the arrangement will prevent any excessive steam pressure. It is to be particularly noted that the arrangement is such that the generator pressure can never more than slightly. exceed the water pressure for the reason that the moment the hot water or steam in the generator backs into the water supply the steam pressure is lowered. The present construction does away with any spring controlled check valve, the disadvantages of which are too well known to need elucidation. Further, a minimum loss of heat is obtained for the reason that the hot water or steam that backs into'the water supply will be first to reenter the generator and in addition no steam escapes as in ordinary boiler constructions. As is well known in boiler constructions, when the safety valve blows off or pops oif, the pressure. will be, lowered below the blow off pressure of the valve. This results in a further loss in heat. Where a hydrocarbon boiler is-used as in a dwelling, the esca e of steam into-a room is of course very un esirable. The present invention also obviates any dangerfrom sudden lowering of pressure in the water supply or losslof water. This results from the fact that in the present invention the steam pressure will never ex ceed the (pressure in the water supply and does not epend upon a predetermined presnoses-pee sure of a spring valve. If for example, the pressure of the water-supply is normally thirty pounds, then thirty pounds of steam may be safely generated. If however the pressure dropsto fifteen pounds the steam pressure will also automatically drop to fifteen pounds. This is an important feature of the present invention. .lFina-lly, one of the advantages of the'present invention is its extreme simplicity and its abiiity to an; tomatically regulate itself.

Hydrocarbon oil burners for use in .a dwelling must frequently be regulated by unskilled operators and are subjected to the danger of the restricted feed or inlet passages, it stopped or clogged and the water pressure being suddenly lowered below nor mal or entirely out 03d. Under the present, invention such conditions will not only result in no danger from explosions but none of the steam will escape into the air causing annoyance and be lost; In Fig. 3 T have shown a modified form of construction in which the valve comprises a diaphragm 21 in a casing 22 inserted in the pipe 16. The diaphragm has an aperture 23 provided with a seat for the ball 24. The sides of the aperture are grooved to allow a small amount of water to pass. around the ball when in normal position. When this modified form of construction is used the water from the service pipe or supply pipe will pass throughthe apertured groove in sutficient quantities to feed the coll. If however the pressure in the generator exceeds the water pressure the hot water and steam in the'generator may kick back the ball valve and freely escape into thewater supply. V r

The invention is not limited to the details of construction shown except/as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:-

1.. The combination with a s urce of water supply under pressure, of a st am generator, means for heating said generator, connections between said water supply and said generator, said connections having arestricted feed orifice, means automatically-permitting a free unrestricted flow of water or steam from said generator back into the dis-' charge end of said water connections when the steam pressure in said generator exceeds the water pressure from said source-of sup-' ply, thereby maintaining a substantial equilibrium between said pressures under normal load and preventing said steam pressure from substantially exceeding said water pressure without substantial loss of any heat.

2. The combination with a source of water supply under pressure,- of a steam generator,

means tor heating said generator, connections between said water supply and said stricted teed orifice, means automatically ermitting a free unrestricted flow of water or steam from said generator back into the discharge and of said water connections when the steam pressure in said generator exceeds the water pressure'trom saidsource of supply, thereby maintaining a substantial equilibrium between said pressures under normal load and preventing said steam pressure from substantially exceeding said water pressure without any substantial loss of any heat units, said equilibrium opcrating independently of variations in said waterpressuren 3. The combination with a source of water supply under pressure, of a steam generator, means for heating said generator, connections between said water supply and said generator, said connections including a c0nstantly open restricted feed orifice, a steam utilizing member, means for a constant restricted flow of steam from the generator to said steam utilizing member, means automatically permitting a free unrestricted flow of water or steam from said generator back into the discharge end of said water connections when the steam pressure in saidgenerator exceeds the water pressure from said source of supply thereby maintaining a substantial equilibrium between said pressure under normal load and efiectivel preventing said steam pressure from su' stantially exceeding said water pressure.

, i. The combination with a source of water supply. under pressure, of a steam generator, means for heating said generator, connections between said generator and water supply, said connections having a restricted feed orifice, anda' safety valve forsaid generator said valve mechanism being normallyclos by water pressure.

5. The combination with a source of water supply under pressure, of a steam generator, 'means for heating-said generator, connections between said generator and water supply, said connections having a restricted feed orifice and asa'fety valve for said generator, said valve mechanism being normally closed under fluid pressure.

6. The combination with a nebulizer, of a steam generator, a water service pipe, conneetions between the service pipe and the generator, said connections including a restricted teed orifice, valve mechanism for the generator, said valve mechanism bein normally closed'by the water pressure 0' the, service pipe, connections between the steam generator and nebulizer including a restricted delivery orifice for the steam.

7. The combination with a nebulizer, an oil supply tank, connections between said supply tank and'nebulizer, a steam generatof, a water supply pi e, connections begenerator, said connections having a re- ;tween the generator an supply pipe, in

eluding a restricted feed orifice, means aupressure, and connections between said gentomatically permitting a free unrestricted erator and said nebulizer.

flow- 0f water 'or steam from said generator In testimony whereof I aifix my signature back into the discharge end of said water in presence of two witnesses. v supply pipe when the steam pressurein the WALTER M. CROSS. generator exceeds the water pressure in the Witnesses:

supply pipe, said means including a valve MYRTLE M. JACKSON,

mechanism normally closed by said water ARTHUR W. GAPS. 

